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Making Sense of the Trump Administration’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Executive Orders

NOTE: This blog was published on February 4, 2025. Since then, the Trump administration has issued new executive orders impacting our community. For more up-to-date information, visit our page, “Information for LGBTQ+ People Under the Trump Administration.”

Blog by Ricardo Martinez, Executive Director

As we expected, we’ve seen multiple directives coming from the Trump administration in its first two weeks with the potential to affect the lives of LGBTQ+ people and their families. I know it’s overwhelming and you’re worried. GLAD Law will do our very best to keep you up to date.

Executive Orders Explained

To begin, most of the new directives came in the form of Executive Orders (EOs) from President Trump. So what, exactly, is an EO?

An EO is a directive from the President, usually issued to guide federal agencies in their work.

EOs cannot change federal law, like Title VII and Title IX, which provide protections to LGBTQ+ people.

EOs can’t change our constitution and the protections we have as LGBTQ+ people under it. They cannot change the role of our courts in interpreting laws and their constitutionality.

Further, state laws still exist and, in many areas, they can address some key concerns we have heard from community members. Visit our LGBTQ+ Protections page for information we have compiled in response to actions at the federal level.

That doesn’t mean EOs cannot cause harm, chaos and confusion, as we saw last week with an order that froze federal funding.

Implementing EOs can take time and if they’re unconstitutional, they’ll be challenged in court, as we have seen with an EO purporting to end birthright citizenship.

In fact, GLAD Law and our partner organizations are already challenging some of the new directives attacking transgender people, which we’ll dive into next.

Sex Discrimination Executive Order

This order is an attempt to regulate and control people’s lives. The Trump administration wants to define all people by their reproductive capacity—an alarming attempt to undo the basic protections that allow transgender people to go about their daily lives. It’s about dictating how trans people, and their families will be allowed to live.

This EO does the following:

directs the State Department to stop issuing passports that accurately reflect a trans person’s gender
directs the Bureau of Prisons to deny incarcerated transgender people healthcare and appropriate housing
directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to reverse rules that give trans people safe access to shelters
requires federal agencies to remove mention of gender identity from language and forms

STATUS: GLAD Law was first to file a challenge to Sections 4(a) and 4(c) of this EO, which directs the federal Bureau of Prisons to house transgender women in men’s prisons and to unlawfully withhold necessary medical care. Last week, we secured a temporary restraining order in our case Maria Moe v Trump that prevented our client, a transgender woman, from being transferred to a men’s facility and ensured her continuing necessary medical care. We are now awaiting the judge’s further orders in this case, and have filed a second case in D.C. on behalf of incarcerated transgender women also at risk of transfer to a men’s facility and withdrawal of medical care.

Transgender Military Ban Executive Order

This is an order that intends to ban transgender people from enlisting and serving in the military.

Transgender service members must meet the same objective qualifications as everyone else. If they can meet those criteria, it’s harmful for everyone to deny them enlistment or subject them to discharge. Skill, discipline and courage—that’s what matters to military service, not identity.

STATUS: GLAD Law and NCLR filed a federal lawsuit on January 28 challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order barring transgender people from serving and enlisting in the military. On February 3, we filed for a preliminary injunction in the case, known as Talbott v. Trump, to keep the EO from being implemented during the lawsuit. On February 4, we filed a motion for a temporary restraining order, asking the court for an emergency ruling to stop service members from being separated unlawfully.

Restricting Health Care for Transgender Adolescents Executive Order

This order is intended to be a broad ban on health care for transgender young people under age 19. It seeks to deny coverage for medically necessary care to transgender dependents of federal employees and seeks to ban federal funding for any healthcare organization that provides this necessary and proven healthcare for transgender people under 19.

This EO continues the Trump Administration’s extreme, needless, and unconstitutional attack on vulnerable transgender Americans. It will deliberately make the daily lives of a very small group of young people and their families painful and more difficult—it’s simply cruel and wrong.

STATUS: The implementation of this order cannot happen overnight. There is no immediate legal reason for hospitals or clinics to change the care they are providing to transgender youth. While we have unfortunately heard reports of a handful of hospitals pausing care, the majority are continuing to provide care as usual.

We fully expect this executive order to be challenged because it is blatantly unconstitutional. It’s important to remember that a president’s powers are not unlimited—the constitution, federal courts and our democratic system serve as a defense against this type of overreach.

Removing Protections for LGBTQ+ Youth Schools Executive Order

This EO tries to tell schools to deny the existence of transgender people altogether. It attempts to ban federally funded educational institutions from respecting the identities of transgender and gender non-conforming students, including blocking them from using the correct restroom or participating in athletics, and forces schools to out student to parents if the student requests to be referred to with a different name or pronoun, even if the outing could put the student at risk of harm.

STATUS: While this Executive Order focuses on funding-mechanisms, the legal obligations our public schools have to protect all students’ right to learn remain unchanged. No Executive Order can change the expertise and dedication teachers bring to supporting every learner in the classroom. Fostering supportive environments where every student feels valued and can thrive is as important as ever. We expect this order to be challenged in court.

Please continue to check this space for news and updates about policy changes that affect LGBTQ+ people and their families and how GLAD Law and our partners are responding to each of them. If you have specific questions or concerns about how these changes may affect you individually, please contact us at GLAD Law Answers, our free and confidential legal information and referral service.

Please take care of yourself, and others as you can. We’re stronger together.

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Servicemembers Seek Immediate Block of Transgender Military Ban

GLAD Law and NCLR, representing six transgender servicemembers and two individuals seeking to enlist, have asked a D.C. federal court to block enforcement of Trump’s transgender military ban while their case against it, Talbott v. Trump, proceeds

WASHINGTON, D.C.— GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law) and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) today asked the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block enforcement of President Trump’s January 27, 2025, order banning transgender people from serving in the U.S. military, while litigation against the ban proceeds.

The motion asserts that President Trump’s ban violates transgender servicemembers’ right to equal protection, singling them out with an “irrational and prejudicial” policy based on a characteristic that has nothing to do with fitness to serve.

“Thousands of highly qualified transgender Americans have been serving with distinction for years,” said Jennifer Levi, Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law). “President Trump’s January 27 order denigrates honorable transgender servicemembers who have put their lives on the line for their country. It is a stark and reckless reversal of policy that weakens our military, pushes out experienced troops, and turns away skilled individuals who meet rigorous standards and are ready to serve.”

“Military service demands one thing: the ability to do the job,” said Shannon Minter, Legal Director at NCLR. “Transgender servicemembers consistently meet and exceed military standards. Those willing to risk their lives in service deserve our respect, not a discriminatory ban that ignores their proven capabilities.”

Both the Pentagon and the RAND Corporation spent years studying service by transgender personnel and concluded there is no military reason to prohibit transgender service members from serving openly. In a declaration in support of the plaintiffs, Alex Wagner, Former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs and Former Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Army, explains why a transgender ban harms military readiness.

“Personnel policies that allow transgender service members to be evaluated based on merit rather than transgender status strengthen the military’s mission of protecting the United States; they do not jeopardize it,” concludes Wagner in his declaration. “The true power of an All-Volunteer Force that reflects the diversity of the American people is in that it enables those that don’t serve to understand it as an extension of their interests. Anyone with a propensity to serve who meets our high entry and retention standards and is courageous enough to pledge that they’ll support and defend the Constitution, should be able to do so.”

In addition to Wagner, declarations in support of the plaintiffs were submitted by:

Yvette Bourcicot, Former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Man Power and Reserve Affairs
Gilbert Cisneros, Former Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
Shawn Skelly, Former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness

GLAD Law and NCLR filed Talbott v. Trump January 28, 2025, on equal protection grounds on behalf of six active service members and two individuals seeking to enlist. The plaintiffs in Talbott v. Trump are also represented by Joseph Wardenski, Principal Attorney, Wardenski P.C.

Case documents for Talbott v. Trump, including the motion and memo in support of preliminary injunction, plaintiff and expert declarations, supporting exhibits, and the original complaint are available on our website.

About the Plaintiffs

Plaintiffs serve across all branches of the military and are contributing among the highest levels, including a Major, a Captain, a Sergeant, and a Navy Pilot. They bring decades of experience, training, and education, including a West Point education and several master’s degrees. They have decorated careers, with commendations ranging from Sailor of the Year and Meritorious Service Medals to Joint Service Commendations and a Bronze Star. Some have been a part of decorated military families spanning generations and have served honorably throughout the country and the world on many deployments.

“When you put on the uniform, differences fall away and what matters is your ability to do the job,” said Nicolas Talbott, Second Lieutenant, Army. “Every individual must meet the same objective and rigorous qualifications in order to serve. It has been my dream and my goal to serve my country for as long as I can remember. My being transgender has no bearing on my dedication to the mission, my commitment to my unit, or my ability to perform my duties in accordance with the high standards expected of me and every servicemember.”

“I’ve been military my entire life. I was born on a military base,” said Ensign Dan Danridge, student flight officer, U.S. Navy. “Every day I lace up my boots the same as everybody else. I pass the same tests as everybody else. Being transgender is irrelevant to my service. What matters is that I can complete the tasks that are critical to our mission.”

“My family has a long tradition of military service and it’s the only career I’ve pursued,” said Gordon Herrero, Captain, U.S. Army. “Separating qualified Soldiers like me will create critical vacancies across the force and could jeopardize the unit cohesion and trust that are vital to our mission. There’s nothing about being transgender that makes me better or worse than any other Soldier I serve alongside. We are all here because we are committed to our country, and we are passionate, willing, and able to serve effectively.”

“I’ve spent more than half my life in the Army, including combat in Afghanistan,” said Kate Cole, Sergeant First Class, Army. “Removing qualified transgender soldiers like me means an exodus of experienced personnel who fill key positions and can’t be easily replaced, putting the burden on our fellow soldiers left behind. That’s just wrong — and it destabilizes our armed forces.”

GLAD Law and NCLR led the legal challenge to Trump’s first transgender military ban, issued in 2017. Multiple federal courts found that ban to be unconstitutional, blocking it from taking effect for nearly two years. President Biden reversed the ban in 2021.

Doe v. Bondi

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Update: We secured preliminary injunction orders preventing our clients in three separate lawsuits—Moe v. Trump, Doe v. Bondi, and Jones v. Bondi from being transferred to men’s facilities and ensuring their continued access to necessary medical care.

The Trump administration has appealed those preliminary injunctions to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, and the three cases have been consolidated for briefing and ruling on this appeal. Learn more about the appeal.

Case Overview

GLAD Law, NCLR, Brown Goldstein & Levy LLP, and Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP represent three transgender women in a case challenging a federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) policy directed by President Trump which would override Prison Rape Elimination Act protections for vulnerable populations, including transgender women, and would terminate all medical care for gender dysphoria for incarcerated individuals. As a result of the policy, which stems from a January 20, 2025, Executive Order issued by President Trump, the plaintiffs were at imminent risk of being moved to a men’s facility and having their necessary medical care withdrawn.

The complaint, filed January 30, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges that the policies required by the new executive order violate the Administrative Procedure Act because they are arbitrary and capricious and also directly conflict with a Prison Rape Elimination Act regulation requiring prison officials to make housing determinations based on an individualized assessment of safety and security. The complaint also alleges that the policies required by the new Executive Order are unconstitutional because they discriminate based on a person’s transgender status, in violation of the Equal Protection Clause, and violate the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment.

This case was previously called Doe v. McHenry.

Case Updates

On March 19, the court granted a preliminary injunction for 2 additional plaintiffs that were added to the case. These women had been moved to male facilities putting them at tremendous risk. The judge ordered BOP to move them back to their women’s facilities and to resume their healthcare.

On February 24, the court extended the preliminary injunction to included the 9 additional plaintiffs.

On February 21, we filed an amended complaint adding 9 additional plaintiffs, incarcerated transgender women who had been informed they would be immediately transferred to a men’s facility and have their healthcare terminated.

On February 19, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction in our case representing three incarcerated transgender women at risk of being transferred to a men’s facility and having their necessary medical care stopped. This blocks the Bureau of Prisons from enforcing against our clients President Trump’s first Executive Order attempting to deny the existence of transgender people, while our case against it continues. We are moving to protect as many of the transgender women in the women’s BOP units as we can and are adding anyone we hear from in the same circumstances.

Doe v. Bondi is one of the three lawsuits GLAD Law and NCLR have filed challenging sections of the Executive Order that directs the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to house transgender women in men’s prisons and to unlawfully withhold necessary medical care. Learn more about the other cases Moe v. Trump and Jones v. Bondi.

Moe v. Trump

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Case Overview

GLAD Law, with NCLR and Lowenstein Sandler LLP, represents a transgender woman in her case challenging a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) policy directed by President Trump which would override Prison Rape Elimination Act protections for vulnerable populations, including transgender women, and would terminate all medical care for gender dysphoria for incarcerated individuals.

Maria Moe (a pseudonym to protect her safety) is a transgender woman who transitioned well before her initial arrest several years ago and has been housed exclusively in women’s facilities. As a result of the policy, which stems from a January 20, 2025, Executive Order issued by President Trump, Moe was at imminent risk of being moved to a men’s facility and having her necessary medical care withdrawn.

GLAD Law, NCLR, and Lowenstein Sandler LLP filed a complaint on January 26 in federal district court in Massachusetts. The court granted a temporary restraining order that same day ensuring that Moe would remain in the women’s facility and have access to medical care while the court considers further relief.

The complaint alleges that the policies required by the new executive order violate the Administrative Procedure Act because they are arbitrary and capricious and also directly conflict with a Prison Rape Elimination Act regulation requiring prison officials to make housing determinations based on an individualized assessment of safety and security. The complaint also alleges that the policies required by the new Executive Order are unconstitutional because they discriminate based on a person’s transgender status, in violation of the Equal Protection Clause, and violate the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment.

Moe v. Trump is one of the three lawsuits GLAD Law and NCLR have filed challenging sections of the Executive Order that directs the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to house transgender women in men’s prisons and to unlawfully withhold necessary medical care. Learn more about the other cases Doe v. Bondi and Jones v. Bondi.

Talbott v. USA

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Jump to Documents

Update: On May 6, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a ruling in Shilling v. Trump allowing Trump’s transgender military ban to take effect while multiple legal challenges move forward. Later that night, plaintiffs in Talbott filed a letter brief with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals responding to the SCOTUS ruling and alerting the court to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s open disparagement of transgender troops. Learn more.

We are challenging the Trump administration’s executive order banning transgender people from serving in the U.S. military.

The scope and severity of the ban are unprecedented. This is a complete purge of all transgender people from military service.

We are fighting back for the thousands of transgender service members and enlistees who meet and exceed the same rigorous military standards as others, and who put their lives on the line to serve their country.

About the Case:

On January 28, 2025, GLAD Law and the National Center for LGBTQ Rights (NCLR) filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging President Trump’s January 27 executive order banning transgender people from serving in the U.S. military.

Talbott v. Trump was filed on equal protection grounds on behalf of six active service members and two individuals actively seeking enlistment.
Since the initial filing, 12 more plaintiffs have joined the case.

Learn about some of the service members challenging this ban.

On February 3, we filed a motion for preliminary injunction asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block enforcement of the executive order while litigation against the ban proceeds. The preliminary injunction hearing took place in DC on February 18-19 and continued on March 13.

In keeping with President Trump’s executive order, the Pentagon released a policy on February 26 that is a complete ban on transgender military service, forcing out current service members and banning transgender people from enlisting.

On March 18, the court issued a nationwide preliminary injunction – halting the ban’s enforcement. In the ruling, Judge Reyes noted that “thousands of transgender servicemembers have sacrificed—some risking their lives—to ensure for others the very equal protection rights the Military Ban seeks to deny them.” On March 26, Judge Reyes rejected a Trump administration motion to dissolve the preliminary injunction. As a result, implementation of the ban was halted and transgender servicemembers and recruits were protected from the bans significant harms while the future of the ban is being decided in court.

On May 6, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a ruling in Shilling v. Trump allowing Trump’s transgender military ban to take effect while multiple legal challenges move forward. Later that night, plaintiffs in Talbott filed a letter brief with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals responding to the SCOTUS ruling and alerting the court to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s open disparagement of transgender troops. Learn more.

In addition to GLAD Law and NCLR, the plaintiffs are represented by Joseph Wardenski, Principal Attorney, Wardenski P.C., Sara Kropf of Kropf Moseley PLLC, and Zalkind, Duncan + Bernstein.

This case was previously called Talbott v. Trump.

About the Plaintiffs:

The plaintiffs serve across all branches of the military and are contributing among the highest levels, including a Major, a Captain, a Sergeant, and a Navy Pilot. They bring decades of experience, training, and education, including a West Point education and several master’s degrees. They have decorated careers, with commendations ranging from Sailor of the Year and Meritorious Service Medals to Joint Service Commendations and a Bronze Star. Some have been a part of decorated military families spanning generations and have served honorably throughout the country and the world on many deployments.

Media and Press

Washington Post: Transgender troops want to keep serving. Trump is forcing them out. (6/22/2025)
New York Times: The Army Was the Only Life She Knew. Trump’s Trans Ban Cast Her Out. (6/16/2025)
Military.com: ‘Voluntary in Name Only’: Deadline Comes for Transgender Troops to Leave Before Being Kicked Out (6/6/2025)
The Daily Show: Transgender Soldiers Explain Why Trump’s Military Ban Is Bogus (5/8/2025)
CNN: Meet the soldiers suing the Trump admin over the transgender military ban (5/01/2025)
The Advocate: Meet the transgender Army lieutenant who is challenging Donald Trump’s military ban (3/31/2025)
ABC News: Trans soldier discusses fighting Trump administration’s transgender military ban (3/19/2025)
Newsweek: Ex-Navy Secretary: Trump’s Trans Military Purge Is Rushed, Brutal (3/17/2025)
USA Today: ‘We want to continue to serve:’ Trans military members disheartened by Trump’s ban (3/5/2025)
The Hill: Op-ed by Rep. Cisneros: Don’t be fooled by double-speak on Trump’s transgender military ban (2/26/2025)
GLAD Law: The Resistance Brief: For the Record (2/21/2025)
ABC News: ‘I just want the opportunity to serve my country’: transgender US veteran (2/20/2025)
Fox News: Transgender soldier defends his military service, opposition to Trump executive order (2/19/2025)
Military.com: ‘Unadulterated Animus’: Judge Tears into Trump Administration at Hearing on Transgender Military Ban (2/18/2025)
The Advocate: Federal judge roasts Trump DOJ attorney over ‘frankly ridiculous’ claims in transgender military ban case (2/18/2025)
CNN: Executive order banning trans service members has ‘unadulterated animus’ toward members of the community, judge says (2/18/2025)
USA Today: Judge grapples with whether to block Trump’s order against transgender troops in military (2/18/2025)
Newsweek: Judge Rips Trump’s Ban on Transgender Service Members: ‘Frankly Ridiculous’ (2/18/2025)
GLAD Law: From the Front Lines: The Fight for Transgender Rights Is a Fight for Democracy (2/10/2025)
Signal Akron: Akron resident fighting ban of transgender people from military service (2/7/2025)

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GLAD Law and NCLR File Challenge to Trump’s Transgender Military Ban

Plaintiffs bring decades of experience across all military branches, contributing among the highest levels of service

WASHINGTON, D.C.— GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law) and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) have filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging President Trump’s January 27, 2025, order banning transgender people from serving in the U.S. military.

The suit, Talbott v. Trump, was filed on equal protection grounds on behalf of six active service members and two individuals actively seeking enlistment.

“This ban betrays fundamental American values of equal opportunity and judging people on their merit,” said Jennifer Levi, Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law). “It slams the door on qualified patriots who meet every standard and want nothing more than to serve their country, simply to appease a political agenda. That’s not just un-American, it makes our country weaker by pushing away talented service members who put their lives on the line every day for our nation.”

“President Trump’s repeated targeting of transgender service members is a stain on our military,” said Shannon Minter, legal director at NCLR. “Anyone who meets the standards should be able to serve. There are already thousands of transgender service members currently in the military who have met the standards and more than proven themselves.”

In addition to GLAD Law and NCLR, plaintiffs are represented by Joseph Wardenski, Principal Attorney, Wardenski P.C.

Learn more about Talbott v. Trump

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GLAD Law Welcomes New Board Members and Newly Elected Leadership

GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law) announces Joseph Metmowlee Garland as the new President of its Board of Directors, Dallas Ducar as Vice President, and Beth Myers as Clerk. The three join Marlene Seltzer who continues as Treasurer, and Shane Dunn, who will remain in leadership as Immediate Past President.

The organization also welcomes new board members Nima Eshghi, an experienced leader in higher education and a former GLAD Law staff attorney; and Matt Wilder, a communications and media strategist with expertise in LGBTQ+ focused campaigns.

“GLAD Law is ready for a challenging political and policy landscape in the coming years and the new Board leadership has the experience and capability needed to aggressively defend and advance protections for LGBTQ+ people and people with HIV,” said Immediate Past President Shane Dunn. “Joe, Dallas, and Beth have been effective and conscientious Board members. Marlene has been an outstanding Treasurer for several years. The entire Board will continue to partner closely with new Executive Director Ricardo Martinez and the most talented staff in the movement to defend, protect, and advance the rights of our community.”

GLAD Law’s biannual Board elections came amid a coordinated nationwide effort to erode, roll back, or restrict rights for LGBTQ+ Americans, especially transgender people and LGBTQ students. In response, with the support of the Board, GLAD Law has grown its legal team and expanded its work both in New England and nationally.

“I’m honored to serve as President of GLAD Law’s Board of Directors during this pivotal chapter in the organization’s and the LGBTQ+ movement’s history. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Shane for his service and the example of his thoughtful and consistent leadership,” said Board President Joe Garland. “We’re also thrilled to welcome Nima and Matt, each of whom brings valuable skills and experiences to the Board that we need to further expand GLAD Law’s national reach and ensure our dedicated staff have the tools and resources to sustain the challenging work ahead.”

“The fights to come may be some of the toughest of our lives. Election results across the country, including in New England, may mean an increase in laws that seek to limit or strip away our fundamental rights and freedoms,” said GLAD Law Executive Director Ricardo Martinez. “We’re confident in the strategic vision and leadership of Joe, Dallas, and Beth to keep us moving forward. GLAD Law is also grateful to have Nima and Matt on the Board, as each possesses a commitment to justice and equality for LGBTQ+ people that’s produced tangible benefits for our community.”

Joe Metmowlee Garland

Dallas Ducar

Beth Meyers

Nima Eshghi

Joe Garland, MD AAHIVS (he/him/his) has served on GLAD Law’s board since 2016. He is the Medical Director of the Infectious Diseases and Immunology Center and the Corliss Street Clinic, both at Brown University Health in Providence, Rhode Island. He also serves as a clinician and a member of the Medical Advisory Board at Clínica Esperanza, also located in Providence.

Dr Garland is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. As a physician, he provides both primary care and infectious diseases specialty care, with a focus on the prevention and treatment of HIV. He is board certified in Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine and is a practicing HIV Specialist of the American Academy of HIV Medicine.

Dr Garland received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Harvard Medical School and completed residency and fellowship training at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dallas Ducar, MSN, RN, NP, CNL, FAAN (she/her/ella) has served on GLAD Law’s board since 2022. Dallas Ducar (she/her/ella) is the Executive Vice President of Donor Engagement and External Relations at Fenway Health, a leading LGBTQ+ healthcare center. In the past she served as the founding President and CEO of Transhealth, establishing the first independent, comprehensive transgender health center in Western Massachusetts. A Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, Dallas serves on the boards of GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD Law), Healing Our Community Collaborative (HOCC), and the University of Virginia IDEA Fund. Dallas is on faculty at Columbia University, the MGH Institute for Health Professionals, and the University of Virginia. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and holds degrees from the University of Virginia and a certificate in Public Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School. She has formally advised state government leaders, served on the Attorney General’s Official Transition Team, and her advocacy focuses on creating inclusive healthcare systems. Her writings have appeared in outlets such as The Boston Globe, The Hill, Newsweek, and STAT.

Beth Myers (she/her/hers) has served on GLAD Law’s board since 2022. She is a Founding Partner at Zucker Law Group LLP. Beth is respected in her field as a zealous advocate for employees and an experienced litigator. Beth represents individuals in every aspect of the employment relationship, with a particular concentration on litigation in state and federal court in cases involving discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation, as well as wage and hour laws, contract and common law. Beth highly values her role to affect real change in individual’s lives by advocating on their behalf in situations where they have been mistreated in the workplace due to their gender, age, sexual orientation, race, disability status, etc.

Before joining Zucker Law Group LLP, Beth was a partner at the Boston law firms of Powers, Jodoin, Margolis & Mantell LLP and Burns & Levinson. Beth also served as a law clerk for the Honorable Margaret R. Hinkle in the Massachusetts Superior Court, where she developed a passion for the courtroom. Beth received recognition in Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment Lawyers in 2020 and 2021.

As an LGBTQ parent, the causes that GLAD Law fights for align with Beth’s personal and professional values. She is honored to serve as a member of the board of an organization that does for New England and the country what she tries to accomplish on an individual level.

Nima Eshghi (she/her) is Associate Dean for Academic Programs at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute.

She has more than 25 years of professional experience in higher education and the legal profession, including four years as a GLAD Law Staff Attorney from 2006-2010, During her tenure on staff at GLAD Law, she litigated to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act, to secure legal protections for non-biological parents, and led efforts to ensure that Massachusetts’ schools remained inclusive of LGBTQ+ families, among other important work. Before joining the GLAD Law staff, Nima served a previous term on the board from 2003-2006 and served as a Spirit of Justice Awards Co-Chair.

Nima also has experience working on legal issues arising from HIV/AIDS, having represented HIV-affected individuals and families as a staff attorney at the AIDS Law Project of the Harvard Law School, where she also volunteered during law school.

Following her tenure at GLAD Law, Nima was an Attorney Advisor at Harvard Law School, where she worked closely with students pursuing careers in public interest law. She then served as Assistant Dean for the Center for Cooperative Legal Education and Career Development at Northeastern University School of Law, before joining the Harvard Radcliffe Institute.

Nima is a graduate of Northeastern University School of Law. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree from Smith College.

In 2020, Nima was named one of Boston’s 50 Most Influential People of Color in Higher Education by GBH / Get Konnected.

Nima and her wife Kate live in Lincoln, MA. They are the parents of two adult children.

Matt Wilder (he/him) is a communications and media strategist with a passion for telling great stories. With deep roots in the education, government, and non-profit sectors, Matt has crafted and executed communications plans that educated and inspired stakeholders and also moved constituencies to rewrite the narrative, challenge the status quo, and move forward together.

Notably, Matt led the communications for the historic ‘Yes on 3’ campaign, which upheld Massachusetts’ law protecting transgender individuals from discrimination in public places—the first statewide vote on transgender rights in U.S. history. Prior to creating his consultancy, Matt served as chief of staff and communications director to the Massachusetts secretary of education in the administration of Governor Deval Patrick. Before state service, Matt served in the administration of Boston Mayor Thomas Menino as the chief spokesperson for the Boston Public Schools and as an advisor to Superintendent Carol Johnson. During the Superintendent’s tenure, Matt led the communications efforts of a proposal to dramatically improve the way students were assigned to the city’s public schools. In this role Matt also led the district’s public response to a wide variety of emergency and crisis situations. He also created and executed a strategy that strengthened the reputation of the district through proactive engagement with local and national media as well as through the use of rapidly emerging social media tools.

Prior to his public service, Matt was a television news producer at Boston’s ABC affiliate, WCVB-TV, Channel 5. Matt currently serves on the Board of Directors for World Ocean School. He is a graduate of Suffolk University in Boston.

Find GLAD Law’s full list of board members on our website.

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Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order

Today President Trump announced his intention to roll back protections for transgender Americans through executive order.

Ricardo Martinez, Executive Director of GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law), made the following statement:

Monday’s executive order is a direct attack on transgender Americans, deliberately making it harder for people to live their everyday lives. It is cruel, and it is wrong.

The administration is trying to create fear and sow chaos by its statements and orders, but no executive action can change the fundamental truth that transgender people are vital members of our families and communities. Like all people, transgender people deserve dignity, respect, and the freedom to live without fear of government-sanctioned harm.

A president’s powers are not unlimited—the Constitution, federal courts, and our democratic system serve as bulwarks against government overreach. Implementing today’s order and others that may follow cannot happen overnight.

GLAD Law will use every tool we have to fight for LGBTQ+ people’s rights and for fairness and dignity. We will defend the fundamental principle that equal protection under the law is guaranteed – without exception.

GLAD Law has fought for LGBTQ+ people in the courts for nearly 50 years and we aren’t stopping now. Sign up to get updates on our work to protect our rights and ensure that we keep moving forward, no matter what comes.

UPDATE: This statement was updated to reflect President Trump signed this executive order as one of several initial actions of his administration.

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GLAD Law Statement on House Passage of Transgender Sports Ban

Today the U.S. House narrowly voted 218-206-1, along near-party lines, for a federal bill that would ban all transgender girls and women from participation in school sports.

Jennifer Levi, Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law), a leading civil rights organization dedicated to justice and equality for LGBTQ+ people and people with HIV, issued the following statement:

“It’s disgraceful to see the new Congress make one of its first priorities a sweeping bill that would deny transgender kids of any age the opportunity to play school sports and strip from them the many educational benefits sports provide. Thoughtful policies can successfully balance fairness and inclusion in sports at multiple levels of competition, as local school districts and sports associations have done for many years. We appreciate those in Congress who voted against this extreme bill and hope the Senate will recognize that blanket bans imposed by politicians don’t serve athletes, students, or sport.”

Post-Inauguration Community Briefing

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Post-Inauguration Community Briefing:
Meeting the Challenges Ahead

Tuesday, January 28 at 5:30-6:30pm EST

The incoming administration has been clear about its plans to target the rights of LGBTQ+ people and other vulnerable communities. As the new administration took office, we gathered for a community briefing on January 28 to discuss its initial actions and their impact.

During the event, we explored how these policies affect our communities and shared our plans to slow, stop, and reduce harm. Together, we focused on ways to ensure we don’t move backward, strengthen protections, and continue making progress toward a just society.

Featuring:

Ricardo Martinez, Executive Director
Mary Bonauto, Senior Director of Civil Rights and Legal Strategies
Ben Klein, Senior Director of Litigation and HIV Law
Jennifer Levi, Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights
Polly Crozier, Director of Family Advocacy

Disclaimer: This is basic legal information as of January 28, 2025. It is not legal advice, and it is not a full description or analysis of any of the executive orders issued by the Administration.